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Thursday, December 22, 2016

Karlie Lucas is a preschool teacher by day and a writer/artist by night.

A graduate of Southern Utah University, Karlie received a B.A. in Creative Writing, with a minor in art. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, The International English Honor Society, as well as ANWA, the American Night Writers Association.

Karlie is interested in all things magical and mysterious, especially elves and dragons. She is an avid fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling.

When not writing, Karlie can often be found drawing, baking, watching her favorite old school shows, or just spending time with her family.

She currently resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband and a cat named Kally

After hundreds of years, the gates to Tarragon are open once more, fulfilling age-old prophecy. However, Anwen’s journey is far from over. The dragons still sleep and she has no clue how to wake them. Forced to retreat from the Mountain, she and her newfound friends must devise a new plan to wake the inhabitants of Tarragon.

Meanwhile, the Mage Circle, a group of dragon mages with a vendetta, is camped outside the Gates. Calling on allies of their own, they will stop at nothing to gain control of the Dragon City and all who dwell inside.

To complicate matters even more, Anwen’s mother has joined the party. But even with the help of all her friends, can Anwen overcome the ordeals set before her or will this spell the end of the dragons and the world as we know it?

Now lets check out the cover for the second Book in this brilliant Series!

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Isn't it epic!

Now lets take a look inside the book

Snippet:

Courtney stopped abruptly as the scatterings of a cave-in came into view. “Oh no,” she whispered, one hand to her mouth. Moving slowly, she noticed a body slumped in the hallway. “Please don't be dead,” she said over and over again as she moved closer. She couldn't help but wonder which of her friends lay there, and what had happened to the other.

The closer she came, the more detail came to light. She recognized Tyler Durand as he lay on his side. His light-colored hair lay limp against his head. His skin was unnaturally pale. At least she didn’t think he was dead. It took a lot to kill a dragon. But just beyond him, a little more out of the way, lay Anwen Porter. And she wasn’t moving.

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Susan was born
and raised a California girl but is grateful to have lived on the Oregon coast
and in the Rocky Mountains of northern Utah. She’s now enjoying living with her
husband in the incomparable beauty of the Redwood forest, nestled against the rugged
coast of Northern California.

Susan raised a
tribe of children, making ends meet as a registered nurse and lactation
consultant, and now her tribe members have tribes of their own and she just
doesn’t get to see enough of them. She loves to travel and is thrilled with a
good movie or a great book, but writing is her passion. She writes almost
anything, especially epic fantasy and romance. Saving Lord Whitton’s
Daughter is her first Regency Romance.

Susan would love
to hear your comments. Please review her book at your favorite retailer, and at
Goodreads, and/ or drop her a note at: stietjen.author@gmail.com.

Lady Bethany would rather die a spinster than submit to marriage—and thus reveal the horrible secret she has harbored for more than a year

Lord Locke is far too immersed in his service to the Crown for romance, but Lady Bethany is in dire circumstances.

Indebted to Bethany’s late father and his close friend, the earl offers a perfect solution for both of them: a marriage in name only.

Perfect, if only they weren’t so irresistibly drawn to each other—and if Bethany hadn’t found herself falling in love with a man even more mysterious than his reputation. Perfect, until she unwittingly learns he’s protecting her from a threat to her life.

To Mark, Bethany is just another assignment, a woman he’s convinced is hiding something. His offer of marriage was meant only to make it easier to safeguard her.

But when the simple threat turns to attempted murder and treason, Mark realizes that Bethany has stolen his heart and he can do nothing less than throw himself into a race against time to save her, whatever the price.

Marcus Ashburn
enjoyed the feel of Polly’s collected gait, along with the warm breeze and the
sea-green meadow’s splendor. Whitton’s lands and livestock were excellent,
despite the estate’s insolvency.

Lord Matthew and Mr. Nicolas would be beyond ecstatic when
they met with him later this afternoon to discuss his success with Lady
Bethany.

His smile vanished, however, when he ruminated deeper about
the future Lady Locke. He’d visited Whitton many times over the years, almost
always when Lady Whitton was in London and Lady Bethany either off riding
horses or climbing trees. He barely remembered the girl from their meeting at
Almack’s last year, and although she was extraordinarily beautiful then, she’d
seemed too young to take seriously. He might never have met her again if not
for the twins.

Lord Matthew and Mr. Nicolas had come to him several weeks
ago in a panic. It had shocked him to learn of Whitton’s financial ruin, but
not nearly so much as their having uncovered a credible threat to Lady
Bethany’s life. They’d begged for help with protecting her, a more difficult
request than he could have imagined. Besides needing to keep her unaware of the
diplomatic connections Lord Whitton and Lord Christian had entertained, she
must be spared the obligations of a typical arranged marriage. Short of
explaining why, Lord Matthew alluded to her inordinately independent nature,
while Mr. Nicolas hinted she had difficulty trusting men.

The three of them had tossed more than one idea about but
none that worked. Then Mr. Nicolas pointed out that Lady Bethany shunned
marriage as much as he did, and what if Locke could take her under his wing?
Offer her a marriage in name only?

The proposal took root and was about to become a reality. A
marriage of convenience. A woman who wanted as little from him as he would from
her. It would leave him as free to focus on his duty to the Crown—a commitment
that had consumed his life for a decade—as it left no room for romance, which
he’d avoided as if his life depended on it, as indeed, it did. With no strings
attached, and when this menace was eliminated, he could easily let Lady Bethany
go, especially if she changed her mind and wanted more of him than he could
give.

Or so he had thought. If only he hadn’t found the lady
nearly irresistible, far more exceptional than the twins had warned him. She
bore the Montgomery stamp: dark brown hair, the most fascinating emerald green
eyes, finely sculpted features. He’d wanted to stare at her heart-shaped face,
her small nose, and lips that were much too quick to smile. Luscious lips that
deserved to be kissed.

He recoiled from the unbidden pleasure the idea planted
inside him, the realization that his defenses might have met their match. The
reason he’d wanted to escape her and her mother as quickly as possible. The
longer he looked at Lady Bethany, the more he wanted to touch her.

No, that would never do. He needed to keep her at arm’s
length. Thankfully, he’d be far away from her most of the time, carrying on unhampered, intent on
the affairs of the Realm.

And with his heart safely out of reach.

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Laura L. Walker grew up in a large family in the beautiful Gila Valley of southern Arizona. From the time Laura was young, ideas for stories bombarded her brain. She would spend hours drawing her characters on paper and fantasizing about their adventures. Life became more serious, however, when Laura met her own hero while at college in northern Arizona and they later became the parents of six children. In between spurts of grocery shopping, sewing costumes or quilts, transporting kids to practices, and making dinner, Laura still enjoys putting her imagination to good use. Laura is the author of two LDS contemporary romances, Pierced by Love and The Matchup. Caitlyn’s Christmas Wish is her first e-novella.

Q & A With The Author:

5. What is
the hardest thing you've ever done?

Even though I've lived through several difficult events, I would
have to say the hardest thing for me is raising my six children. I love them
all to pieces and wouldn't trade them for the world, but each of them has
presented unique challenges to me. As their mother, collectively, I feel
exhausted at times but am especially proud when they accomplish or pull through
something that was hard for them.

6. Now
that we've gotten to know each other, tell me a story. It can be long or short.
From your childhood or last week. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just
make sure it's yours. What's your story?

True story: My
favorite all-time movie is The Sound of Music. As a tween, I was absolutely
enthralled with that story (and to this day, I can't even explain why). Maybe
it was the songs Julie Andrews sang, maybe it was her character or the gorgeous
scenery . . . I'm not sure. For me, all of the story elements in that movie
combined to make the perfect story for me. I watched it so many times on
television that my adult brothers now will not allow their wives to watch it.
This is something I only found out about a few years ago when I was sitting at
a table with my sisters-in-law. I was stunned and felt so bad that I ruined it
for them.

Just when former model and single mother Caitlyn Drevier Reel has finally put her life back on track after a divorce and six-month stint in rehab, she is surprised to receive an invitation from her ex-in-laws to spend Christmas with the family. After all, she reasons, her ex-husband Grant is constantly on the road with his band and it's only fair to allow them to get to know her young son, Brody. What Caitlyn isn't prepared for, however, is the spark of attraction she feels for Ridge, Grant's older brother, or the sense of belonging to their wonderful family once again. Ridge, who is recovering from his own personal heartache, seems to feel the same about her. As they work together to ensure the success of the Winter Festival that his parents have organized for their small Wyoming town, Caityln begins to envision a bright future. But will Grant's unexpected arrival keep her Christmas wish from coming true?

Friday, December 16, 2016

Brenda Novak’s latest “digital box set for a cure,” ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS, is a contemporary romance collection of delightful and romantic Christmas stories. It features Brenda's Rita-nominated novella, “A Dundee Christmas”, as well as stories by some of the biggest romance authors of our time, including #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Debbie Macomber and romance favorites Bella Andre, Melody Anne, Violet Duke, Marie Force, Heather Graham, Laurelin Paige & Kayti McGee, Jane Porter, Melanie Shawn, RaeAnne Thayne, Melinda Curtis, Anna J. Stewart and Scarlett York. The set sells for only $9.99 (less than $1/story) and is up for pre-order now wherever e-books are sold. The box will be released November 1st and will only be available through December 31st.

All the proceeds will go to Boston University to help Dr. Ed Damiano (who also has a son with Type 1) finish engineering the artificial pancreas. Why is his work important? Because the artificial pancreas will go far toward helping insulin-dependent diabetics remain healthy until that elusive biological cure can be found. So, please, pre-order this boxed set today and encourage your friends and family to do the same. You'll get many hours of enjoyable reading in exchange for a small donation that will help a lot of people.Q & A With The Author:

5. What is the hardest thing you've ever done?

Saying to to
those I love (my kids, especially).

6. Now that we've gotten to know each other, tell me a story.
It can be long or short. From your childhood or last week. Funny, sad, or
somewhere in between. Just make sure it's yours. What's your story?

When my youngest
son was only six, a cousin, older by five years, slipped into the attic where
my husband and I were storing a great many things and ferreted out the presents
I’d put there at least a month before Christmas. Armed with the knowledge of
what those presents were, it seemed he took some kind of perverse pleasure in
destroying Thad’s fantasy of Santa Clause. He told Thad everything he was going
to get—and let him know that Ted and I had bought each item and tucked it all
away for safekeeping until December 25th, when we would pretend that
Santa had come down the chimney and left those items for him.

When some
children learn the truth, they get angry with their parents for perpetuating
this myth. Thad didn’t react that way. He was angry with his cousin for
destroying the magic we were trying to keep alive for him. He wasn’t yet ready
to let that go. But I had gotten Thad something for Christmas this cousin
failed to mention, probably because, in his mind, it was “just a book.” I have
to admit Thad didn’t entertain himself with that book first of all. It wasn’t
until later in the day, after the excitement of playing with his other toys had
worn off a bit, that he and I sat down together to look through THE POLAR
EXPRESS.

The book had
come with a tape we listened to. I remember both of us being a little awed by
the beauty of the illustrations and the way the words rolled off the narrator’s
tongue as that tape played—“hot chocolate thick and rich as chocolate bars…”
Sometimes I still think of that line, when it may have nothing to do with
Christmas. But it was this gift that turned out to be the one I was most
grateful I’d purchased because that story helped my little boy get beyond the
disappointment of losing Santa Clause. He took the same ride as the
protagonist, who goes to the North Pole and is lucky enough to be selected to
receive the first gift of Christmas. He shared that boy’s wonder and his joy
when he received the bell from the harness of Santa’s reindeer that was
supposed to help him believe in the magic of Christmas. Thad also shared in the
disappointment when that bell was lost and was elated when spared the boy that
loss by leaving it for him under the tree. Somehow that book softened the
jarring blow of reality because it taught Thad that even though there may not
be a jolly man dressed in a red suit who delivers toys to all good girls and boys,
the magic of Christmas is real—as long as he chooses to
believe.

Now I’m much
older. But, like the narrator of that book, I can say, “the bell still rings
for me.” I hope Thad will always be able to say the same.

Come visit with Helen Shelton, her granddaughter Ruth and Ruth's husband, Paul. They'll offer you a cup of mulled cider and the story of how they met.

“KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE” by Bella AndreFor Mary Sullivan Christmas has always been about family. As she hangs her ornaments, she's swept back to the first days of her whirlwind romance with her husband--and the love that would be the foundation on which they built their family.

“FINDING EACH OTHER” by Melody AnneBrayden Steele gave up his love of Christmas many years ago when he lost his mother and father in a car wreck. But the magic hasn’t given up on him.

“BEFORE THAT PROMISE” by Violet DukeIf anyone can make Drew Lawson believe in the magic of Christmas, it's the girl-next-door he's classified as completely off-limits.

“CELEBRATION AFTER DARK” by Marie ForceOn the occasion of their 40th wedding anniversary, Big Mac and Linda McCarthy take a look back at how they came to be, while each of their children confront a new challenge in their own lives.

“SPIRIT OF THE SEASON” by Heather Graham”While struggling to raise her newly orphaned nephew, Davey, widow Becky Wexham must deal with the feelings she experiences when she once again comes into contact with Tim Yeagher, an old flame and Davey's Little League coach.

“A DUNDEE CHRISTMAS” by Brenda NovakWelcome to Dundee, Idaho, where the town is small but the hearts of the people living in it are large. A woman seeking refuge in an unfamiliar town during a snowstorm is taken in by a man who helps her discover a new sense of home.

“UNMATCHABLE” by Laurelin Paige and Kayti McGeeAfter Jane Osborne is unceremoniously dumped by a rich man, and then invited to his wedding, on (Christmas Eve no less), she decides to hire a date from Craigslist and pass him off as an upgrade.

“CHRISTMAS MIRACLE FOR DAISY” by Jane PorterWhen his goddaughter, Daisy, is orphaned, confirmed bachelor Cormac Sheenan adopts her. All goes well until Marietta's seasonal Santa Claus promises his daughter a mommy for Christmas.

“CHRISTMAS WISH: A HOPE FALLS HOLIDAY NOVELLA” by Melanie ShawnFor the movie star and the single mom, will a Christmas Wish become their new reality?

“A COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE” by RaeAnne ThayneWidow and caterer Jenna Wheeler is determined to spin Christmas into the stuff of magic for her four children, even if that means helping out her new landlord, sexy billionaire Carson McRaven..

"THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS" by Melinda CurtisSimon Castle' s on his way to a make-or-break meeting unseasonably scheduled for December 25--until the gorgeous redhead subbing for his limo driver takes him on a detour.

“CRUEL INTENTIONS” by Scarlett YorkFor fans of Pretty Little Liars…It’s hard to be a rhinestone in a diamond world...I was far from living the dream, but now I'm stuck in a nightmare of lies, deceit....and murder. Merry Christmas to me.

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Ann Acton lives with her husband and children in a tiny town in Washington state. She loves the feeling of Christmas and usually finishes her shopping on Christmas Eve. She is also the author of The Miracle Maker.

Liz Adair, a native of New Mexico and mother of seven, lives in southern Utah with Derrill, her husband of 50 years.

A late bloomer, Liz published her first mystery (The Lodger) just as AARP started sending invitations to join. After writing three in the Spider Latham series, Liz moved into romantic suspense. She feels writing in that genre doing so is a service project. "I remember when I was a young mother with all those kids and a slender budget," she says. "I was so grateful for books that let me go places and meet people who carried on adult conversations That's what I want to write--cheap vacations.""Amy's Star" brings both Liz and her writing to Kanab, Utah. Look for new Spider Latham mysteries set in Kanab.

Terry Deighton lives in Washington, the state not D.C., with her husband, Al. Their six children are grown and gone, and pets tend to complicate life. When she is not visiting her children and grandchildren, writing and revising, again and again, she works as a substitute teacher. Mr. Goetz in the Tweaks series is wiser and cooler, but he's made up, so it doesn't count. Mrs. Deighton started out to be a high school English teacher, but raising kids turned into a full-time job. During those years, her dream of writing books for young people grew until she had to do something about it. Her Tweaks series is a fulfillment of that dream. Her love of Christmas naturally prompted her to write "Whit's End" in this book and "Just Say No-el," a companion novella to these three stories.Q & A With Author Liz Adair:

1.Describe yourself in 50 words or less.

I’m
75 on the outside, 39 on the inside. I still think of myself as tall and
statuesque, but who is that hefty, swollen-ankled women looking back at me from
the full-length mirror? I’m a hearth-tender, but my explorer husband entices me
to experience the wonders of the outside world.

2.
What do you love most in the world? In all the world, I love family the most. I
love the ties that bind generation to generation. I treasure the pictures my
heart carries of my little, bird-like grandma, my Auntie-Mame mother, my
children as they toddled around my farmhouse kitchen, and the fine people they
have become.

3.
What do you fear most? I’m afraid of the dark. A vivid imagination is great for
writing murder mysteries, but it’s a curse on a moonless night when I’m alone,
the power’s out, and something’s creaking in the next room.

4.
What is your largest unfulfilled dream, and what are you doing to reach it? The
largest of my few unfulfilled dreams is to hit the USA Today best seller list.
To reach it, I’m learning to be a savvy marketer. This last year, I hit #1 in
the Amazon Bestseller list and stayed there for almost all day, so I’m making
progress.

5.
What is the hardest thing you've ever done?
It may be a little indelicate, but I’ll state this: When I was having
children, natural childbirth was the usual path chosen. My last child was
breech. ‘Nuff said.

6.
Now that we've gotten to know each other, tell me a story. It can be long or
short. From your childhood or last week. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between.
Just make sure it's yours. What's your story?

This is my Christmas story:

Red Taffeta, by Liz Adair

When I was in the third grade, we moved
from southern New Mexico to Wyoming for my father’s work. In the fall, before
we knew we were leaving the temperate New Mexico climate, my mother had made me
a little black velvet cape for a winter coat. It had a red taffeta lining and
was trimmed with a rabbit-fur collar.

The cape was adequate for the first
Wyoming autumn months, but then the air turned really cold. The constant wind
cut through the two layers of cloth like Mama’s sewing shears, no matter how
closely I wrapped the cape around me.

Because of the influx of construction
workers, the little housing that was available was very expensive. Our family’s
budget didn’t stretch to house rent and
a new coat for me.

Two weeks before Christmas, a frigid front
swept down from the north, pushed by a howling gale. In spite of the storm, I had talked my parents
into taking us to the movies. I can still see the scene in my mind’s eye: we’re
getting ready to go. I’m full of anticipation, and I put on my velvet cape. As
the wind whistles outside, Mama stands at the door, her hat on and her purse in
her hand. She stars at me for a moment, then two, and she seems to be making up
her mind about something. “Go get the box from under my bed,” she says.

I feel the hard linoleum of the floor on
my knees as I look under the bed and pull out a substantial box, wrapped in
Christmas paper. “Bring it in here,” Mama calls from the front room.

I carry it in and set it on the coffee
table. “Open it,” she says.

I tear off the paper. There’s no
excitement. Christmas is still two weeks away, and this is just strange. I lift
the lid and find a winter coat: gray, nondescript, probably woolen. Mama has me
put it on, and I wear it to the movies.

That was in 1949. I don’t remember
Christmas morning that year. I don’t remember anything else about that gray
winter coat. But to this day, I can remember the way that red taffeta lining
felt as it rubbed against my bare, eight-year-old arms.

Christmas Gift - Christmas for Amanda Grover is usually a chaotic marathon in search of the perfect gifts. This year, she thinks she's got it all under control—until she's roped into doing service on Christmas Eve. What should be a simple night turns into a series of chaotic events and a gift she never expected.

Amy’s Star: A Spider Latham Christmas Story - A new star rises above the southern Utah town of Kanab and draws some surprising visitors on Christmas Eve.

At Whit’s End - When Whitney Saunders and her husband buy their first home, it jump starts her desire to make everything, especially Christmas, perfect. She soon finds out it’s more work than she thought, and she begins to wonder what perfect really is.

At the back door, Spider could see Laurie at the table with Amy opposite. They both looked up as he opened the door.

“Hi,” Laurie said. She smiled, but it wasn’t an automatic, come-from-the-heart, Christmas Eve smile. It was a wooden, brave-faced turning up of her lips.

Amy smiled, too. Hers was genuine. Five-hundred-watt incandescent.

“Hello, girls,” Spider said. “How’s it going?”

“Fantastic,” Amy said.

Laurie cleared her throat. “Amy stopped taking her meds.”

“So I heard.” Spider tipped his head, regarding Amy. “Is that wise?”

Amy covered her face. “No. I know it’s not, but listen.” She let her hands slide down, so her eyes were peeking above her fingertips. “I just wanted to feel the Christmas joy. You don’t know what it’s like to have everything—” She made a horizontal motion. “—even out. I want to feel something this Christmas!”

Spider grimaced. He understood what Amy was saying, and right now he hated the responsibility he had inherited. “This thing with President Obama and the Bethlehem star. It wasn’t real, you know.”

Amy stared at Spider, chewing on her lower lip. “The big black limo? The tinted windows going silently down?” She pantomimed the windows lowering. “The man in the back leaning forward and taking my hand, telling me he had this great thing for me to do? You’re saying it wasn’t real?”

Spider nodded. “That’s what I’m saying.”

Amy looked at Laurie. “It was real to me.”

Ten
fun facts about Liz Adair

1.I lived in Alaska while it was still a territory.

2.I was born in Hot Springs, New Mexico, but they changed the name
of the town to Truth or Consequences.

3.The smell of an outhouse doesn’t repel; it brings back memories
of staying with Grandma.

4.I had a small wholesale bakery for 15 years making home-made
pies for 22 restaurants.

About Me

Hi! I'm a preschool teacher who also manages and owns a small production company for voice acting and our various productions, called The Manga Project. I am also an avid reader, and a writer of fiction, fan fiction, fantasy, some sci-fi, poetry, and general non-sense.
I like to cook and bake a lot, though I usually don't have a lot of time, between producing/directing, teaching, and writing.
I just put out my first publication, The Unknown Elf, and am crossing fingers that it does well.